(i) Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.
(ii) Related Art
There is a case where an additive, such as a release agent, included in a developer becomes fine particles each having a diameter of 0.1 μm or less as a result of being vaporized by being heated by a fixing device and then solidified by being cooled in an image forming apparatus. When air containing fine particles that are present in the vicinity of the fixing device is discharged via a duct, the fine particles are less likely to be bonded to one another if the time taken for the air to be discharged through a discharge port of an apparatus body of the image forming apparatus is short, and thus, there is a possibility that the fine particles may be discharged in their unbonded state to outside the apparatus body of the image forming apparatus.
In a configuration in which an image forming section, in which an image forming operation is performed, is positioned in a center portion of the apparatus body in the width direction, it is difficult to form, between the image forming section and the apparatus body, a large space, which is to be used for increasing the time needed for the fine particles to bond to one another. Thus, in the configuration in which the image forming section is positioned in the center portion of the apparatus body in the width direction, it is difficult to widen the duct, and accordingly, the time taken for the air to be discharged is likely to be short. As a result, there is the possibility that some of the fine particles may be discharged to outside the apparatus body without being bonded to the other fine particles.